Turfing-machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 1'7, 1907.

l J. J. BAIRD.

TURFING MACHINE.

nruouron Hmm AUG. so. 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. BAIRD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TURFING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed August 30,1905. Serial No. 276,433.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, J AMES J. BAIRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tuning-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in embroidering tools; and the objects thereof are to produce an embroidering tool which will prevent the thread formed into a stitch from drawing in the work when a new stitch is being formed; also to produce a tool. which is capable of making stitches in any direction; also produce a tool in which the length of the thread on the under side of fabric may be regulated; also to produce a tool of simple construction and improved operation.

I accomplish these objects by the turfing machine described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which z- Figure l.- is a side elevation of my improved turng machine. Fig. 2- is a cross section on the line 2v2 of Fig, 1`. Fig. 3- is a front elevation of the part shown Vin Fig. 2 with certain of the parts in section. Fig. 4- is a cross section on the line ifa of Fig. 1. Fig. 5- is a longitudinal section of the needle and a portion of the needle bar and of the regulating sleeve.

In the drawings 6 is a needle bar and is provided at the upper end with a handle 7. To the front side and at the lower end of the needle bar is secured the needle socket 8. The hollow needle 9 having a head 9/ and a solid point 9 projects through this socket and is held securely therein by spring 10 secured to the needle bar and bearing against the head of the needle and holding it in contact with the socket as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The adjusting sleeve 11 surrounds the shank of the needle and passes upwardly in the needle socket in threaded Contact therewith as best shown in Fig. 5. This sleeve can ybe screwed downwardly in the socket to regulate the distance the needle penetrates the fabric 12 which is being embroidered, thereby shortening the amount of thread left on the under side of the fabric when forming the stitch, it being understood that when the sleeve is screwed up into the socket as far as it can be screwed the machine is adjusted for the longest amount of thread.

At the bottom of the needle bar and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a lug 13 through which passes the shank 14/ of the presser foot 14. A second bearing lug 15 is secured to the needle bar a distance below the handle a little in excess of the throw oi the needle. The apertures through lugs 13 and 15 are preferably square, and the shank of the presser foot is also likewise square, but these apertures and the shape of the shank may be of any form providing they keep the shank from turning therein. Intermediate these lugs a collar 16 is secured to the shank of the presser foot by a pin 17 which passes through both. Intermediate the collar and the upper lug is a spring 18 which is coiled around the shank of the presser foot and gives the necessary pressure of the foot upon the embroidery thread (not shown) and fabric being embroidered when the machine is at work. This presser foot entirely ysurrounds the needle and the lower edge is blunt as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 so that no matter in which direction the machine may be moved when at work the lower edge of the presser foot will engage the fabric and thread from the last formed stitch to prevent any pull on the stitches already formed when a new stitch is being formed. A band 19 preferably circular, which I will term the stepper foot preferably surrounds the needle and presser foot. Within this band and secured thereto by its end is a flat spring 2O to which are secured guide arms 21 and 22. These guide arms have longitudinal slots 23 and 24 which cross each other at right angles as best shown in Fig. 4 in or near the center of the stepper foot. The shank of the presser foot passes through the slots in these guide arms and is held normally by them in the center of the stepper foot. The spring to which these guide arms are secured permit the movement, within the limit of the length of the slots, of the needle in any direction when it is raised out of the fabric, thus permitting the'stitchcs to be formed in any direction, and when the stepper foot is raised from the fabric they cause Ait to return to a position to engage the fabric at points equidistant from the shank of the presser foot.

At each side of the stepper' foot and pivotally attached thereto are the carrying bars 25 and 2G which are united at their upper ends by the rearwardly extending U-shaped brace 27. The upper ends of these carrying bars are pivotally secured to crank 28 which is mounted in bearing 29 secured to the needle bar adjacent to lug l5. If desired the carrying bars and brace could all be stamped from one piece of thin sheet metal and bent to proper shape. An operating handle 30 is secured to the crank whereby the same may be turned to reciprocate the parts.

The fabric to be embroidered is stretched in a frame and the handle of the turfing machine is grasped with the left hand. The point of the needle, which has been first threaded by passing a thread through the hollow center and out at the eye 3l, is then placed on the fabric at the point at which it is desired to begin the work. The free end of the thread, is brought out under the presser foot so that it will be held on the fabric thereby. The crank is rotated and at the same time pressure is placed upon the handle to force the needle as far through the fabric as the same will go. As the crank rotates, after the needle has been forced through the fabric as far as it will go, the first movement will be to slightly raise the stepper foot off the fabric, which permits the arms through which the shank of the presser foot passes to cause the stepper foot to centrally surround said shank. The further movement oi the crank will cause the stepper foot to engage the fabric and the needle bar, needle and presser foot to be raised upwardly until the presser foot and needle entirely clear the abric, when the operator can then move the point of the needle in any desired direction, and as the crank rotates force the needle through the fabric until the regulating sleeve surrounding the needle contacts with the presser foot when the stitch is completed. Each subsequent stitch is formed in a like manner.

It will be observed that the presser foot iirmly holds the thread coming from the last [o1-med stitch firmly in engagement with the fabric during the time that the thread is being drawn through the needle, thus preventing any pull on the formed stitches, no matter in which direction the stitches may run, thereby keeping an even quantity oi" thread on the underneath side of the fabric for each stitch, a result which is not possible where the presser loot does not positively engage the thread when it is being pulled through the needle. It will also be observed that by giving my needle a solid point I can use it in the Lincst of fabrics without injuring them, as thc needle presents to the thread composing the fabric no cutting edges. It will also be observed that the returning of the stepper loot to a central position around the shank of the presser loot at each stitch enables me to make stitches in any direction that I desire to make them, and that such movement is accomplished with ease and rapidity.

Having described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a needle bar having a handle on the uppeil end thereof; a needle socket secured to the lower end of said bar; a hollow needle having a head, said needle being adapted to pass downwardly through said socket until the saine contacts therewith; and a spring catch secured to said needle bar above said socket and adapted to bear' against the head of said needle when the same is in the socket and hold it from longitudinal movement therein.

In a turiing machine the combination oi= a needle bar having a socket; a needle adapted to pass through said socket; spring operated means to hold said needle in said socket; and means connected to and adjustable in the socket to regulate the depth of penetration of the needle in the fabric.

3. In a turng machine the combination of a needle bar having a handle; means secured to said needle bar for the reception of a needle; a hollow needle in said means; an operating crank secured to said needle bar; a spring pressed presserfoot through which the needle passes, said presser foot being non-rotatively mounted in bearings secured to said needle har and longitudinally movable therein; a stepper foot operatively connected to said crank*y and iiexible connections between said stepper foot and the shank of said presser foot.

4. In a turing machine the combination of a needle bar; a hollow needle detachably secured thereto by spring operated means; anda spring pressed presser foot surroundingT said needle, said presser foot having the part thereof which surrounds said needle formed into a downwardly projecting flange having a blunt edge.

5. In a turing machine the combination'of a needle bar; a hollow needle detachably secured thereto by spring operated means a spring pressed presser foot surrounding said needle, said presser foot having the part thereof which surrounds said needle formed into a downwardly projecting flange having a blunt edge; and a stepper foot flexibly connected to said presser foot.

G. In a tui-fing machine the combination of a needle bar; a hollow needle secured thereto; a spring pressed presser foot having a downwardly projecting rim sur rounding said needle, the lower edge of which rim is blunt; an operating crank secured to said needle bar; a stepper foot operatively connected to said crank; a spring secured to said stepper fcot; and cross arms having slots in the ends thereot secured'to said spring in a position that the slots therein cross each other at right angles centrally in said stepper foot, the shank of said presser foot passing through said slots.

7. In a turling machine the combination of a needle bar having a needle removably secured thereto; a spring pressed presser foot operatively connected to said needle bar; and operating means secured to said needle bar; and a stepper foot operatively connected to said operating means and flexibly connected to the shank of the presser foot.

S. In a tui-fing machine, operating means; a presser foot; and a stepper foot secured to the operating means and flexibly and yieldingly connected to the presser foot, said stepper foot being adapted during the operation of the device to alternately rest on the fabric and support the other parts and to leave the fabric and be supported by the other parts.

9. ln a turfng machine, an operating crank; a stepper foot composed of a circular band having arms secured thereto, said arms being connected to the operating crank; a spring secured to said band; slotted arms secured to said spring, the slots crossing each other at approximately right angles; and a presser foot having a shank thereof passing through the slots in said arms.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of August, 1905.

JAMES J. BAIRD.

Witnesses G. E. I'IARPHAM, EDMUND A. S'rnAUsE. 

